Valve-actuating mechanism



Patented Dec. 9, 1930 I l I i "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Applicationfiled September 6,1928. Serial No. 304,369.

This invention relates to an improved adjustable ball '18, andform'ed tocoact with valve actuating mechanism of the general said ball is asocket 19. j 7 character disclosed in my co-pending appliv Incarryingthe invention into eii'ect I emcation for a similar invention filedOctober ploy a push rod in which is incorporated a 26, 1927, Serial No.228,893. a novel slip joint. This slip joint includes a.

The invention seeks, among other objects, female clutch member in theform of a to provide a mechanism including a push clutch cup 20, havinga conical inner face 21 rod incorporating a novel slip joint autoandprovided with a flat bottom wall 22 matically operable to accommodatelength which rests flat against the upper end of the 10 ening orshortening of the rod and wherein tappet 11. Surrounding the upper endof the en the floating clutch member of the slip joint cup istin-overhanging flange 23, and surwill be so constructed as to preventundue rounding said flange is an upstanding frusshortening of the rod bythe opposing forces to-conical cap or housing 24, provided at its of thevalve spring and tappet. lower end with a channel member 25 tightly Theinvention seeks, as a further object, embracing the fiangef23'forrigidly connect- 6:;

to provide a floating clutch member the mg the cap to the cup. Extendinginto the clutch elements of which will offer a relaclutch cap axiallythereof is a hollow conis tivel large bearing area to the male and fecalmale clutch member 26 closed at its lower male clutch members of theslip joint so as end by an end wall, and coacting with said to obviatepremature wear of said elements members is a floating clutch member 27.

as well as premature wear of said members. As shown in detail in Figure2, the clutch And the invention seeks, as a still further member 27 isformed with a tubular body object, to provide a floating clutch memberslotted longitudinallythroughout the major wherein the clutch elementsthereof will, as portion of its length to provide a plurality regardseach other, always be at the same ele of elongated spring tongues 28,and formed '51 vation between the male and female clutch on said tonguesat their lower ends are subb stantially Wedge shaped clutch elements 29.

Other objects of the invention not specifi- The outer faces of theseelements are inclined Cally mentioned in the foregoing will apto seatflat against the conical inner faces pear during the course of thefollowing de- 21 of the clutch cup 20, while the inner faces toscription. of sand. elements are inclined to seat flat In the drawings,7 against the conical outer face of the male Figure 1 is a verticalsectional view showclutch member 26, the outer inclined faces ing myimproved mechanism in connection ofthe elements being longer than theinner with a conventional overhead valve, and faces. In the pr Instance,I have Shown 23 Figure2 is a detail perspective view of the the clutchmember slotted at eightequi-disfioatingclutch member of the slip jointemtant pomts but, of course, th1s detail may be 1 d varied as desired.

Referring now more particularly to the Overhangmg the upper edge Of theclutch drawings, I have shown a fixed'tappet guide member 26 IS anannular fOllOWer 3O angle- I) at 10, and slidable through said guide isa shaped in cross sect1on to rest at its lower tappet- 11 operable by acam shaft 12, the edge against the upper end faces of the clutchtappetbeing provided at its upper end with elements 29 of the clutchmember 27, and the customary axial recess 13. A conVen-. resting at ltslower endagamst said followr tional overhead valve of an internal comer1s a spring 31, the upper end of which abuts :31 bustion engine isindicated at 14, and slidthe upper end wall of the cap 24. Extendingably supporting the valve is a cage 15, the snugly through the bottomwall 22 of the valve being normally held closed by a spring clutch cup29 1s' a tubular axially disposed 16. Mounted to coact with the upperend socket 32 which isremovable received more of the valve stem is arocker 17 carrying an or less .freelywithin the recess 13 ofthe taplepet 11. The socket is closed at its lower end, and formed on the upperend thereof is an annular flange 33 seating against the inner face ofthe bottom wall 22of the clutch cup for limiting the socket againstoutward displacement. Resting at its lower end against the bottom wallof the socket and at its upper end against the lower end wall of theclutch member 26 is a spring 34. In this connection it should beobserved that the spring 31 is of far less strength than thespring '16of the valve, while the spring 34 is of far less strength than thespring 31.

Extending loosely through the top wall of the cap 2 of the female clutchmember is a push rod element 35 which is provided at its lower end witha tapered terminal 36 snugly but removably fitting within the maleclutch member 26, the male clutch member thus providing a socket forsaid element. At its upper end the element 35 is slightly enlarged toprovide a head, and as will be observed, the socket 19 is shaped tosnugly fit over said head. Freely surrounding the element 35 is a cap 37frictionally fitting tightly over the upper end of the cap 2 1, andenclosed by the cap 37 is a felt or equivalent element 38 slidablyreceiving the push rod element therethrough. This felt is preferablysaturated with oil which duringthe operation of the mechanism, will findits way into the slip joint for maintaining the parts lubricated.

As will be observed, the male clutch member 26 and associated parts areenclosed by the female clutch member and cap 2 1 to provide apermanently assembled slip joint which is separate and distinct from theother parts of the mechanism. Accordingly, when installing themechanism, the slip joint may be first connected with the tappet 11,when the push rod element may be inserted at its lower end into the maleclutch member 26 and the socket 19 disposed over the head of saidelement to coact with the ball 18. As will be perceived, the socket 32will coact with the tappet 11 for maintaining the female clutch memberin alinement with the tappet. Assuming now that the tappet 11 is beingraised, the upward thrust of the tappet will, as will be observed, betransmitted directly to the clutch elements 29 and, of course, at theinstant such upward thrust is transmitted to said elements, the valve14, spring 16, rocker 17 and push rod element 35 will be at rest.Accordingly, inertia of these parts will be sufiicient to maintain thepush rod element stationary momentarily and oppose the upward thrust ofthe tappet with suflicient force to cause upward endwise slipping of theclutch elements with a coincident upward movement of the clutch cup 20independently of the clutch member 26. The follower 30 is thereforeshifted upwardly by the clutch elements'29 to compress the spring 31 anddue to the difference in the angularity of the clutch face 21 of the cupand the male clutch member 26 to provide a rigid connection between saidcup and the push rod element so that the valve is opened.

Due to the automatic contraction of the push red as the valve is opened,the opening travel imparted to the valve will be correspondinglyshortened. Accordingly, upon the return of the tappet downwardly, thevalve will seat before the tappet reaches the bottom of its throw sothat the push rod element 35 will be relieved of the downward pressureotherwise exerted thereon by the valve spring 16. As a result the spring31 will, as the tappet completes its downward movement, expand for againshifting the clutch elements 29 downwardly within the U clutch cup 20and thus wedge the clutch member 26 upwardly and lift the push rodelement, so that the parts will be returned to their original positions,while all looseness between the parts will be automatically taken up.Battling will thus be effectually prevented. The spring 34 is providedto accelerate the upward movement of the clutch member 26 incident toeach cycle of the valve so that the parts will properly recover theirnormal positions at high engine speeds.

Attention is now directed to the fact that by employing a floatingclutch member of the characterdescribed, the clutch elements 29 uresoshaped as to provide large bearing areas to enact not only with theclutch cup 20 but also with the clutch member 26. Premature wear of allof these parts is thus obviated. FUl' JlICE'IHORG, as will be perceived,the clutch elements 29 will always be supported as with respect to eachother, at the same elevation beween the clutch members 20 and 26, and noone of said elements can slip downwardly to unduly wedge said membersapart and impair the coaction of the remainder of said elements withsaid members. As previously intimated, the body of the floating clutchmember 27 is formed of resilient material and the tongues 28 are of suchlength that, as the clutch elements move downwardly from the positionshown in Figure 1, between the clutch members 20 and 26, said tongueswill bow longitudinally so as to permit the inclined faces of saidelements to always seat fiat against the beveled faces of said members.A like lliU functioning of the spring tongues will, of

course, obtain as the clutch elements 29 are shifted upwardly so thatthe advantage of the full bearing area presented by the inclined spacesof said elements will, at all times, be realized.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. An automatic take-up device including nested conical clutch memberscomprising rigid inner and outer members and a coacting intermediatemember movable axiall between the inner and outer members, thelntermediate member including a plurality of clutch elements having flatcontact with the inclined faces of the inner and outer members andsliiftable for spacing said inner and outer members, yieldable meanstending to axially shift said intermediate member in one direction, andyieldable means tending to axially shift the inner member in theopposite direction. 1

2. An automatic take-up device including nested conical clutch memberscomprising rigid inner and outer members and a coacting intermediatemember movable axially between the inner and outer members, theintermediate member including a plurality of clutch elements having fiatcontact with the inclined faces of the inner and outer members andshiftable for spacing said inner and outer members, yieldable meanstending to axially shift said intermediate member in one direction,yieldable means tending to axially shift the inner member in theopposite direction, and means enclosing the parts to provide aself-contained unit.

3. An automatic take-up device including nested conical clutch memberscomprising rigid inner and outer members and a coacting intermediatemember movable axially between the inner and outer members, the intermediate member including a plurality of clutch elements having flatcontact with the I inclined faces of the inner and outer members andshiftable for spacing said inner and outer members, yieldable meanstending to axially shift said intermediate member in one direction, asocket carried by the outer memher, a spring in said socket and tendingto axially shift the inner member in the opposite direction, and a capcarried by the outer member to enclose the parts and providing anabutment for said yieldable means.

In testimony whereof I aflix m signature.

CALVIN C. WVILLIAM [L s.]

